Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-11

WASHINGTON CRY, Jan lO-The debate
on the interstate commerce bill was re-
sumed in the senate Monday, Beck opening
in favor of the measure. He said the bill
presented the issue fairly between those who
wished that the inter state railways be
operated subject TO law, and those who de-
sired the railroads to make their own laws;
that the present measure was the result OF
ten years consideration on the part of CON-
mittees Of the two houses and that the de-
feat of this measure would keep the control
of the commerce of the country in the hands
Of the railroads He read from book on
the Railroads of the Republic which
stated in the chapter that was read that the
Standard Oil company received from the va
rious railroads during eighteen months re-
bates amounting to Sl0,0U,OO and by RED
son of these rebates crushed out all competi-
ton in the oil trade. He recommended this
chapter to the various commercial bodies
that were sending in petitions against the
interstate commerce bill He believed that
if these facts were LAID before any CONNER
cial body in America it would vote against
the continuance of snch outrages.
Cullom spoke in favor of the conference re-
port He said the bill had stood the test of
scrutiny TO which it had been subjected by
the press and the railroad companies. The
feature most objected to was the long and
short haul clause, and that was because it
was either misunderstood or misrepresented.
He believed the measure when fairly tested
would prove beneficial bothIto the railroads
and the public. Referring to the objections
urged against the short haul section-that it
tc linda Ant nd &hn tor
argued that but one construction can be
reasonably placed upon this section, especially
when considered, as it must be, in connection
with the other provisions
Senator Stanford opposed the bill 1t pro-
vided, he said, for the regulation of one
species of property which was not extended
to other species IF ;" said the senator, rail
reading is legitimate business and if it is
only the aggregate of the private property
contributed by the stockholders; if it
is maintained and operated by the labor Of
individuals, what justification there can be
for depriving the owners Of control.
and the property of its full earning
capacity within the laws as they
existed at the time of the original invest
ment, | am unable To see 1t seems TO me
clearly that is violation Of the rights Of
property, and the rights of the laborer TO re-
ceiye compensation for services performed.
II this bill shall become law its conse-
quenoes will be most disastrous, in my judg-
ment, to the various business interests of the
country While the railroad companies have
practically been as free TO manage their
business under the common law as those en-
gagged in other callings, the country has
prospered, accommodations have been given,
and are given that promote the prosperity of
every industry. There has been no taking of
property without compensation, no control
without ownership And the Anarchists in
the history of the country have thus far
found little justification in the example of
the government for the violent taking of
property" In conclusion he said there could
be no valid objection To police regulations,
but only TO that attempted regulation
which goes to ami affects values directly and
inevitably